Having actually died, as reported by the Japanese Army, late in the above year, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until January 3, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest L. Fritz & Ada Mae Fritz who resided in Idetown, Pennsylvania.
John served as a Technical Sergeant & Engineer on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 31, 1939.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
John "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army while being transported, via a ship, to Japan during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal, Prisoner Of War Medal, and the Purple Heart.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 6948783
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest L. Fritz & Ada Mae Fritz who resided in Idetown, Pennsylvania.
John served as a Technical Sergeant & Engineer on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 31, 1939.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
John "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army while being transported, via a ship, to Japan during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal, Prisoner Of War Medal, and the Purple Heart.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 6948783
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having actually died, as reported by the Japanese Army, late in the above year, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until January 3, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest L. Fritz & Ada Mae Fritz who resided in Idetown, Pennsylvania.
John served as a Technical Sergeant & Engineer on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 31, 1939.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
John "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army while being transported, via a ship, to Japan during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal, Prisoner Of War Medal, and the Purple Heart.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 6948783
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest L. Fritz & Ada Mae Fritz who resided in Idetown, Pennsylvania.
John served as a Technical Sergeant & Engineer on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on July 31, 1939.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
John "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army while being transported, via a ship, to Japan during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal, Prisoner Of War Medal, and the Purple Heart.
His remains were not recovered.
Service # 6948783
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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